Reply by JJackson

If you pull these dovetails apart, they will not fit as well when you put them back the second time. A dovetail is the strongest joint known to woodworkers. If you are making a drawer, just go ahead I build the drawer without glueing them together. Trust me, they will never come apart. If you try to hit it with a hammer and block of wood, something is going to give (and it wont be the hammer or block of wood) I have built drawers before without glueing my dovetails and 4 years later they look just as nice. When you put the bottom of the drawer in, this will keep the entire assembly stable. Trust me, it works.